70th anniversary of television on P.E.I.

 This week is the 70th anniversary of the arrival of television broadcasting on PEI, and The Guardian published an opinion piece I wrote. 

COMMENTARY:

Photo: Kathy Large, left, and her brother-in-law, Ian Scott, display a photo of Large's grandfather, Keith Rogers, during a 2021 ceremony at Government House in Charlottetown. Photo by Omar Broderick /Slick Photography/File

70th anniversary of television on P.E.I.

By Ian Scott, Contributed

Published by The Guardian, Charlottetown, PEI -- Jun 27, 2026

July 1, 2026 is a milestone for local broadcasting on P.E.I. as it marks the 70th anniversary of the arrival of television.

CFCY-TV signed on the airwaves on July 1, 1956, fulfilling the personal dream of Keith Rogers who had established commercial radio locally, with the licensing of CFCY in 1924. His untimely death in 1954 had meant that plans to create a P.E.I.-based TV station would fall to his wife and children who rose to that challenge — completing the job in 1956. His daughter Betty and son-in-law Bob Large took the lead, supported by Betty’s sister Marianne Morrow, brother Bill Rogers, and her mother Flora. Across Canada, many local radio station operators were considering similar moves, despite the warning about the costs in building and operating a station, which could destroy the cash flow of a successful radio station by diverting advertising dollars still needed by the radio operation. Undaunted by the warnings from his colleagues, the boyhood dream of Keith Rogers to bring modern means of communications to the Island, would eventually come to fruition.

Affiliated with CBC

Located initially in a building on the top of the hill in Churchill, the site still houses a variety of transmission towers, but the reality of getting performers to the site in the middle of winter was a challenge. Building a TV studio behind the radio station on Kent Street in Charlottetown was the next goal and construction began on a building in the area between the Charlottetown Hotel and City Hall.

Locally owned, but with CBC affiliate status, both the radio station and TV operations could carry national content like Hockey Night in Canada, and also provide locally produced material to the network. Don Messer had first been hired by the radio station as musical director in 1940, and eventually his band The Islanders, became popular with a growing audience on both radio and television nationally. That success launched the band’s career bringing East Coast music to a keen audience across the country.

CBC had a policy shift away from affiliate stations towards full ownership of CBC facilities in the 1960s. Timing was right for retirement for Bob and Betty Large, and the remaining family ownership group, thus in 1968, the TV operation was sold to CBC, marking a new era for local broadcasting on P.E.I.

While much has changed in 70 years, radio, television, and newspapers all remain key parts of ensuring that local news coverage remains a vital part of Island life.

Ian Scott is a former executive director with the P.E.I. Museum and Heritage Foundation. He lives in Charlottetown.

CBC Compass -- Where The Name Came From

CBC Compass -- Where The Name Came From by Ian Scott

The local supper hour CBC news broadcast on Prince Edward Island has remained legendary especially when occasionally threatened with replacement by a national news show. Attributed as having maintained the highest penetration in a local market of any local news show in Canada it has retained its audience despite the arrival of many other news options. Interest in local news is a key part of Island life thus Compass is a daily staple in most households, yet many were unaware of the origin of the name until recently. The story goes back to the period when CBC was establishing a corporate presence on PEI. While affiliate CBC stations had existed locally with both CFCY radio and then CFCY-TV (which opened July 1, 1956) the need to establish a full corporate presence in every province caused CBC to purchase CFCY-TV from the local owners, who were descendants or family of CFCY radio's founder Col. Keith Rogers.

The 1969 purchase led to the building of a new facility on University Ave. Veteran CBC manager Gordon Smith was brought in for the transition and to manage the operation; he learned quickly that Charlottetown Rotary Club was a valuable organization to support and also provided an opportunity to meet other community and business leaders. It was at a Rotary lunch table that he admitted the challenge of obtaining a highly visible location for the new building to a fellow Rotarian who happened to be in a management role with the Charlottetown Research Station run by Agriculture Canada, affectionately known then and now as "The Farm" in the heart of the community. From that conversation came an agreement for CBC to acquire a rather low-lying part of the property that was difficult to crop due to drainage issues but was highly visible next to major federal operations like Agriculture Canada and the RCMP on a major artery of the city. A prime location in the growing commercial part of the city, it would become a visible anchor for the operation.

The new CBC building at 430 University Ave. became home to operations of the renamed TV station CBCT, and then in 1977, CBCT-FM arrived bringing a full CBC radio station to PEI. An expansion to the building and a major renovation currently underway in 2020 continues to adapt the building to the many platforms maintained by the public broadcaster.

On Island Morning broadcast during August 2013 Ken Bolton then aged 70 indicated that "In 1969, Whit Carter and I hosted a new show on CBC here in Charlottetown called Compass, I think I actually came up with the name."

While the show was a team effort, a later broadcast clarifies the origin of the Compass name and how it came about.

Broadcast on CBC Compass, on April 9^th 2020 was a brief item read by Compass host Louise Martin that honoured R. Gordon Smith at the time of his passing and told of the naming of Compass – the CBC nightly news show for PEI.

"Gordon Smith was the manager hired to start up CBC operations on PEI during the late 1960s and 70s and supervised the construction of the CBC building on University Ave. We asked him about the name of the show and he said, that he was playing with a knife on his desk one day spinning around and thought of the name compass.
Our deepest condolences to his family and friends and we thank him for everything he has done. His legacy will not be forgotten and lives on every night here on Compass."

The obituary of Gordon Smith, (below) was published in The Guardian gives additional background on his lengthy career as a broadcaster and manager.

R. Gordon Smith

Published in The Guardian: April 09, 2020

SMITH, R. Gordon (Major (Ret’d), CD2) R. Gordon Smith, of Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, passed away peacefully on April 6th, 2020, at the South Shore Regional Hospital with his children by his side. Born in Saint John, N.B. on October 26, 1923, Gordon was the son of the late Frank P. and Sarah C. (Lacey) Smith. He was a veteran of the Second World War, serving in the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) from 1941 to 1945. He continued to serve Canada in the militia from 1954 with 3rd Field Artillery, 2nd Battalion N.S. Highlanders, P.E.I. Regiment, and finally as Militia Area Atlantic Public Affairs Officer, retiring in 1983. Gordon had a remarkable career in broadcasting, which began in 1946 as a weekend fill-in at CFNB in Fredericton while attending the University of New Brunswick. And with that, he had found his calling. Gordon went on to work as an on-air personality, sportscaster, and manager at CFBC Radio in Saint John, N.B. from 1948 until 1962. Continuing his broadcasting journey, he and his family moved to Sydney, N.S. where he ventured into television as program director and on-air host at CJCB-TV. Gordon remained with CJCB-TV until mid 1967, at which time he joined the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) in Sydney. In 1968 he and his family transferred to Charlottetown, P.E.I. where he oversaw the merger of an affiliate (CFCY-TV) into CBCT, which included being location manager, on-air responsibilities, as well as coordinating the 1972 construction of the CBCT building. Late in 1974 he became a part of regional management team for CBC, based in Halifax, until his retirement in 1986. Gordon was a true Maritimer, having lived in cities and towns in all three provinces: Saint John, Sydney, Charlottetown, Halifax, Mahone Bay, Mader’s Cove, and Bridgewater. Following his retirement, he volunteered his time and expertise, serving on numerous boards and committees in both Mahone Bay and Lunenburg. Gordon’s legacy will be one of a courageous, intelligent man with an exceptional life story, unparalleled integrity, countless friends, and a family that loved him unconditionally. He is remembered and deeply missed by many. Gordon was predeceased by his loving wife of 57 years, Lois (Lodge), as well his siblings: Donald, Ruth Peacock, George, Freda Taylor, Shirley, and Bob. He is survived by his three children: Tony (Lynn Lantz), Sara (Stephen) Harding, and Becky (Bruce) Campbell; grandchildren: Jennifer (Rob Bustos), Christine (Morgan Smith), Geoffrey, Alex (Samantha) Harding, Ryan (Katrina Lapierre) Harding, and Sherri Campbell; great-grandchildren: Ronan Bustos, Jacob and Olivia Harding, and Hugh Smith; sister-in-law Joyce (Moore) Smith; nieces and nephews: Cecilia Bowden, David (Marie) Peacock, Janet (Bob) McKinney, Keith (Sydney) Peacock, Stephen (Brenda) Smith, and Roger (Joanne McFall-Smith); numerous grand-nieces and nephews across Canada; and his dear friend and companion, Wilma Chandler, and her entire family in Charlottetown, P.E.I. Cremation has taken place. There will be no funeral or visitation. A graveside service and celebration of life will take place at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the VON of Lunenburg County—in appreciation of their caring support of Gordon over the years—or an alternate charity of choice. Arrangements are under the direction of Mahone Funeral Home, and condolences may be sent to www.mahonefuneral.ca “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” 2 Timothy 4:7

Broadcast pioneer brought television to PEI in 1956

Broadcast pioneer brought television to PEI in 1956
Published in The Globe and Mail
By -- ALLISON LAWLOR
PUBLISHED JULY 1, 2009
UPDATED APRIL 28, 2018

Robert F. Large (1918-2009)

Robert (Bob) Large may have been the man who introduced television to Prince Edward Island in 1956 at a time when television sets didn't even exist in island homes, but it was radio that truly captured his heart and mind.

Mr. Large died in Charlottetown on June 4, 2009, from lymphoma. He was 90.

"A portion of every day was spent listening to radio," said his daughter Kathy Large. "He had a true appreciation of talk radio. Music wasn't what he turned the radio on for."

In 1936, Mr. Large landed his dream job. At 18 he walked into the office of CFCY in Charlottetown and was hired as an announcer and operator. He had already been dabbling in the medium. At 14, he built a one-watt radio station on which he played lively band concerts for family and neighbours in a three-block radius around his Charlottetown home.

At CFCY he not only launched his broadcasting career, but fell in love with the boss's daughter, Betty Rogers, a fellow broadcaster known as "the storyteller." In 1924, her father Colonel Keith Rogers had started the station - which adopted the radio slogan "the friendly voice of the Maritimes"- from his living room.

"It was a unique radio station. It was a family affair," said veteran broadcaster Eric MacEwan, whose syndicated radio show has been running on CFCY for 35 years.

He married Betty in 1939, and the couple moved to Sackville, N.B., where Mr. Large got a job with the CBC. But their love of PEI soon brought them back to CFCY, where Mr. Large became part of The Early Birds radio program.

The five-member radio host team, which did everything from play music to recite poetry on air, became widely popular throughout the Maritimes. The show's signature theme, "Keep on smiling ... cause when you're smiling the whole world smiles with you," captured the enthusiasm of the youthful group. They developed a loyal audience and honoured them whenever they could.

On one occasion they travelled to New Glasgow, N.S., where they broadcast from the bedside of a dedicated listener who couldn't leave her home. Another time they played music for a wedding taking place at listener's home in rural Nova Scotia.

"I would be so grateful to our favourite radio station, CFCY, if you would play the Wedding March for me on the air," the listener wrote. The hosts assured the bride-to-be that at the precise time, on the correct date her wish would be carried out. They were true to their word. And while the Wedding March played, they let curious listeners know what was happening.

Born in Charlottetown on Aug. 21, 1918, Mr. Large lived and worked on the same block of Queen Street, just down from City Hall, most of his adult life. Living so close to work allowed him to duck out at noon every day for lunch, followed by a quick nap before heading back to the station.

After starting off on air, Mr. Large moved into management at CFCY, eventually becoming manager and program director. Mr. MacEwan remembers walking into the station in the early 1960s as a brash 17-year-old with a dream of becoming a rock 'n' roll disc jockey. Mr. Large gave him a job, and along with it some advice that stuck. "You have to be versatile," he told the young radio hopeful, encouraging him to learn to write everything from news to commercials.

With his radio on at all times - even when he was out of the office - Mr. Large had no patience for sloppiness or carelessness on air.

Bob Large at Radio Station CFCY on Kent St. in Charlottetown

"He was quite strict," Mr. MacEwan said. "He didn't suffer fools lightly."

In the early days, Mr. MacEwan worked the Sunday morning shift. His job was to ensure that the religious programming coming in from the United States was running smoothly on air.

Not interested in the preaching, one day he decided to duck out of the studio while the tape ran to grab a coffee and cinnamon bun at a nearby coffee shop. While he was out the tape broke and all that could be heard over the airwaves was the flipping sound of the broken tape. Mr. Large flew into the studio in a rage. He didn't fire Mr. MacEwan, but came close.

"He felt a tremendous responsibility communicating to the public," Mr. MacEwan said.

Mr. Large was station manager when CFCY-TV went on air in 1956. The initial dream of bringing television to PEI had started with Col. Rogers. But in 1954, he died suddenly of a heart attack, just three days after celebrating his 62nd birthday. At the time of his death, Mr. Large had already done close to five years of feasibility studies on the idea.

"Dad had to pick up the pieces," said Kathy Large. "A lot of people said 'you can't do that in PEI.' It was such an ambitious project."

But Mr. Large had made his decision. He had thoroughly studied the idea and knew his good relationship with General Electric meant he could buy equipment at a decent price. After investing more than $250,000 and constructing a new tower, located a few kilometres west of Charlottetown that could direct power along the entire length of PEI and toward Nova Scotia, Channel 13 went on the air on July 1, 1956.

Staff at the station had to learn quickly how to work in a visual medium. Money was in short supply in the early days. "No money for sets. Okay? No kitchen cupboards. Is that understood?" Mr. Large told Henry Purdy, the station's first full-time artist, just before Helen Herring, who had done women's shows on radio for years, was to be launched into television with her show Today at Home .

After the show, Mr. Large confronted Mr. Purdy, Betty Rogers Large recounts in her book (co-written with Tom Crothers) Out of Thin Air: The Story of CFCY 'The Friendly Voice of the Maritimes.'

CFCY-TV goes on the air

"I thought I told you there were to be no sets, no cupboards," Mr. Large said to Mr. Henry, who insisted that there weren't. But Mr. Large said he saw them and wanted an explanation. "What you saw was a painting," Mr. Henry said. Still not believing him, Mr. Large ran back to the studio to confirm.

CFCY-TV, which was sold to the CBC in 1969, helped develop several talented broadcasters over the years, including former political commentator Senator Mike Duffy. Having the best collection of records in town, Mr. Duffy started at the station with a Saturday afternoon teen dance party. Don Messer and His Islanders moved from radio to television at CFCY before they were propelled to national fame on the CBC.

"He was a visionary in so many ways," Mr. MacEwan said.

Until his death, a beloved radio rested at his bedside. With his eclectic tastes, Mr. Large listened to everything from BBC newscasts on shortwave to New York City traffic reports.

Mr. Large leaves his daughters Brenda, Daphne and Kathy; five grandchildren; and brother Bill. He was predeceased by his wife Betty.

Special to The Globe and Mail

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P.E.I. television pioneer dies at 90
The Guardian -- SaltWire Network
Published: Jun 15, 2010 at midnight
Updated: Sep 30, 2017 at 3:48 a.m.

The man who first introduced television to Prince Edward Island in 1956 died Thursday at his home in Charlottetown. Robert F. Large was 90.

He was station manager and part of the family that introduced TV to the province in 1956 when CFCY-TV first went on air.

While most of his contemporaries in the radio field warned of the high risks involved with the unproven form of new media which had no established track record in generating revenue, Large, his wife Betty, along with family support forged ahead and built the Island's first TV station at a time when television sets did not even exist in Island homes.

The initial dream of bringing TV to P.E.I. had begun with Betty's father, Col. Keith Rogers, the owner of CFCY, who had introduced radio to the Island decades before.

Large's career began at the age of 18 as an announcer and operator in 1936 when he joined the staff of CFCY.

At the station he became close friends with Betty Rogers, a fellow broadcaster known as The Storyteller, and, in 1939, they married and settled in Sackville, N.B., where he held a staff position with CBC.

Their love of the Island soon brought them back to CFCY where Large would eventually become station manager.

Large was the last surviving member of the "Early Birds'', a five-member radio hosting team that was widely popular throughout the Maritimes.

Based on a format now known as "talk radio," the five men kept Islanders entertained and informed. Their signature theme on CFCY, "Keep on smiling . . . cause when you're smiling the whole world smiles with you,'' captured the youthful enthusiasm of the lively team.

After CFCY was sold to Maritime Broadcasting and CFCY-TV to the CBC, Bob and Betty Large enjoyed an active retirement, with travel being a regular part of their annual cycle until Betty's death in 1990.

A family spanning three generations of broadcasters, Bob and Betty Large saw two of their daughters follow in their footsteps with successful media careers.

Large's fascination with all forms of broadcast media continued in retirement with a special interest in international radio stations.

His remains are resting at the Belvedere Funeral Home. There will be no visitation by family request. A memorial service will be held on Saturday at 2 p.m. from the Kirk of St. James.